The new generations have a bit different perspective

What do you consider the most important progress in the area of parental leave in recent years?

"There’s no question that the most significant progress in parental leave is the introduction of earmarked leave for fathers. Early data shows that this has led to more men taking parental leave, and another interesting point is that the numbers contradict what many initially expected. The new regulations have, in fact, impacted many different industries, and it's not only academic or urban fathers who are taking the earmarked parental leave weeks.

There have been several positive stories in the press and insightful interviews with men who have chosen to take leave, helping to foster broader recognition of fathers taking parental leave. This recognition applies both within their own families and social circles, but also among employers. It’s just not as unusual anymore for men to request parental leave. The law has truly broken down some barriers for these men.

In my experience, our industry, along with many others, is influenced by the current dialogue and debate It's having a ripple effect, and I think it's fantastic to witness the current development with more fathers taking parental leave across the board."

As a leader, what has been the biggest change you've seen in terms of parenting and work life balance in the last decade?

"The most significant change is probably the constant attention we are giving it. We engage in continuous discussions about social structures, how we organise our work lives and what values we navigate by.

In the past, we often discussed work life, family life and leisure life as separate categories. But today we focus more on the concept of the whole life - recognizing it as a single entity where we can influence how all these elements interconnect. That’s one of the most significant changes I’ve seen.

In our industry, you spend many hours at work, and the very fact that we can talk about how we organise our lives with or without children means that we can all be more open and honest about it. We're also exposed to role models and share our experiences with each other, which makes a big difference.

As a society and in the workplace, we have taken some fairly significant steps in a new, more open direction, where there is greater flexibility in how we organize our work life. And perhaps it was about time. It's an important discussion that we continue to have in our organisation.

When you are in my role, it is also about being aware of our recruitment and competency base. There are some generations of employees coming in now who may see things a bit differently than before. As a company, we need to have a response to them if we want to continue attracting the most qualified employees."

Generation Z

"I am very interested in Generation Z. These are the employees we're bringing on board now, and they have their own view of what it means to work, hold a job and how things should function. First and foremost, they are highly purpose-driven and expect personal leadership. They want to check in at a workplace that is filled with culture, community, and belonging, and some of them are less driven by titles and money than previous generations.

I'm deeply committed to finding common ground. If we don't stay mindful of this, we risk creating a generational gap that benefits none of us. It's essential that we learn from each other.

I also really believe that language shapes reality, so I've stopped using the term ‘retention’, for example, and instead use the word ‘connection’. That's really what it's all about and what the new generation of employees is focused on. They don't want to be retained, they want to have a connection to the workplace they're at.

In this way, we as employers are also faced with a really exciting and interesting challenge, as there are those who have done things in a certain way for many years – and our industry is quite traditional in that sense – and now a generation is coming that questions that. The important thing in that situation is that we can get to know each other across generations, rather than digging the gap deeper.”

What are you most proud of having implemented or done as a leader regarding parental leave management at the workplace?

"I haven't been at Horten for very long, but one of the things I've been most proud of in my work life in relation to parental leave was in my previous job at Live Nation, where we were the first in the music industry to introduce full parental leave for men in August 2022.

I'm really proud of that - also in light of the fact that it's an American parent company, which has completely different conditions for parental leave, in an industry that generally lags behind when looking at gender, diversity and inclusion."

What are the main challenges you see arising for both the workplace and the employee when an employee goes on leave?

"Some of the considerations we make are partly how we ensure that our employees have a good start to their parental leave, but also how we maintain the connection to them during the leave. Because we know that a lot of changes are occurring. Many people change jobs when they're on parental leave, and many also find it difficult to return after parental leave.

It can be especially difficult if it's the first child. I remember that from my own experience. You're in a different place in your life than before having a child, and you face some completely new challenges. First and foremost, one must adjust to the role of being a parent and what it entails, as well as the impact it has on one’s work life. It can be incredibly contrasting and filled with dilemmas and strong emotions.

That's why aligning expectations between leader and employee is so important. There has to be a dialogue about what expectations we have of each other. How we create the best possible framework for our employees before, during and after parental leave is an important focus point for us.

I don't think this is something that people have thought about so much in the past. In my experience, you can make a significant difference with just a few simple

In Denmark, we tend to view work life and careers as something very linear that must always move upward. But there can be fluctuations, both upward and downward, depending on where you are in life. It would be fantastic if there were more flexibility for both the individual and the company. Because knowledge and skills are lost when your employees leave, and recruiting new staff can be quite expensive. However, the steps you can take to strengthen your relationship with your colleagues on parental leave don't have to be costly."

Do you find it challenging to retain employees (m/f) who have been on leave?

“We're in an industry where you're faced with high demands in terms of billable hours and work performance, and it can be a difficult balance when becoming a parent.

That's why we focus a lot on how we can help our attorneys who become parents - and everyone else for that matter - to help them achieve balance after starting a family. This is clearly a key focus for the entire industry.”

What do you wish you had known 15 years ago that you know now?

"We're becoming increasingly aware of the importance of the whole life and the need to consider the individual. It's essential to view work and family life together, rather than dividing the various roles we take on throughout our lives.

We've also made a shift from talking about ‘human resources’, or seeing people as resources, to focusing more on ‘people and culture’.
There's a huge transformation happening in HR right now, which is also about one-size-fits-all no longer working.

It’s a shift we should have embraced sooner. We've grown wiser, and the upcoming generations are challenging us. I see that as a positive thing.”
What would be your best advice to other leaders or organisations who want to make a difference in parental care?

“My best advice is to set up a framework and engage with someone who has it as their area of expertise. And then it's also important to be persistent. Change in this area takes time.

As a company, one must consider what values they hold and where they want to position themselves in this area. We know that parental leave conditions are a competitive factor, and it is important not to underestimate this.

I'm truly glad that the discussions we have today as companies are more informed than they used to be, thanks to our access to data and facts in this area. t has now been illuminated and studied. So where it used to be more of a discussion with a lot of observations or personal opinions, we can now base the discussions on concrete data. It is evident in employee turnover rates if you don't have these things under control.”

Charlotte Holm, who is Head of HR with Salling Group has asked you this question in the relay: What is the best way to support a woman who wants to pursue a career after maternity leave?

"I'm not sure if it makes sense to talk about women in general. Because as I've expressed in the other questions, it's very much about the individual. And maybe that's where the answer lies.

You need to maintain a good, ongoing dialogue before, during and after maternity leave, allowing the individual to design her work life. What does she envision for her career? What are her goals for her work-life balance, and how do these align with the company's needs?

One-size-fits-all models just don't work anymore. And future generations won't be focusing on them either.”